The invention concerns the cosmetics, more particularly the dermo-cosmetics field, and its subject is the use of plant extracts, found especially in Haut-Maroni (French Guiana), in the preparation of cosmetics for the skin, mucous membrane and/or exoskeleton (hair, nails, . . . ).
The Aluku women (Haut-Maroni, French Guiana) traditionally carry out their ritual intimate ablutions every morning and evening with a plant decoction specific to each stage of a woman""s life, using a large number of local plants.
The plants are prepared by decoction then used in a hip bath according to the stage in the menstrual cycle and the required effect.
A study of these various plants has revealed some specific pharmaceutical properties, namely antiseptic, healing, astringent and tonic properties (see xe2x80x9cVxc3xa9gxc3xa9taux utilisxc3xa9s pour l""hygixc3xa8ne intime des femmes Aluku en Guyane Franxc3xa7aise: interprxc3xa9tation culturelle et intxc3xa9rxc3xaat pharmacologiquexe2x80x9d (Plants used for intimate hygiene of Aluku women in French Guiana: cultural interpretation and pharmacological importance), Marie FLEURY, Proceedings of the 2nd European Colloquium on Ethno-pharmacology and the 11th international Conference on Ethno-medicine, Heidelberg, Mar. 24-27, 1993).
The inventors of this invention have made the unexpected and surprising discovery that extracts of some of the above-mentioned plants have not only the fore-mentioned pharmacological properties but also clear anti-free-radical, anti-ageing and glutathione auto-synthesis reducing properties and action, which are at least equivalentxe2x80x94if not superiorxe2x80x94to those of the active Ingredients normally used in cosmetics.
The main subject of the invention is thus the use, as an active ingredient for the preparation of a cosmetic for topical use on the skin, mucous membrane and/or exoskeleton, of at least one extract or mixture of extracts from a plant selected from the group made up of Spondias mombin, Maprounea guianensis, Waltheria indica, Gouania blanchetiana, Cordia schomburgkii, Randia armata and Hibiscus furcellatus, particularly with an enhanced anti-radical and glutathione auto-synthesis reducing action.
This action may in particular be advantageously used in anti-ageing, anti-physical-stress (UV-R), cold, heat, wind and anti-chemical stress (especially pollution) and light-protective cosmetics, in anti-stress and light-protective capillary preparations or in sun or after-sun products.
The above-mentioned extracts may for example be prepared from the whole plant or plants.
However the plant extracts are advantageously obtained from the aerial parts of the plant, for example the stems, leaves, flowers and/or buds.
Once collected the plants or parts of the plants in question, posssibly after being dried, are subjected to an extraction process, preferably in two successive operations producing two different extracts. The extracting solvent used may advantageously be chosen from the group formed by water, aqueous solutions with different pH levels, C1-C6 alcohols, ketones (acetone, methylketone, diethylketone), halogenated hydrocarbons, esters (ethyl acetate, propyl actetate, butyl acetate or the like), polyhydric alcohols (glycols, diethylene glycol, Propane diol, dipropylene glycol, butylene glycol) or mixtures of at least two of the fore-mentioned substances.
In a special embodiment of the invention the plant extract(s) comprise one or more separated, purified fractions extracted from one or more of the plants.
To obtain a cosmetic composition which also has an enhanced anti-elastase action, protecting and repairing the elastic fibres of the dermis better than the anti-ageing active ingredients currently used in cosmetics, the active ingredient incorporated in it is advantageously at least one plant extract selected from the group formed by Spondias mombin, Maprounea guianensis, Gouania blanchetiana, Waltheria indica and Cordia schomburgkii. 
To obtain a cosmetic composition which also has a strong anti-collagenase action, the active ingredient incorporated in it is advantageously at least one plant extract chosen from the group formed by of Spondias mombin, Maprounea guianensis, Waltheria indica and Randia armata. 
To obtain a cosmetic composition which also has a strong anti-UVA effect, the active ingredient incorporated in it is advantageously at least one plant extract chosen from the group formed by Spondias mombin, Maprounea guianensis and Waltheria indica. 
To obtain a cosmetic composition which additionally has a strong anti-UVB effect, the active ingredient incorporated in it is advantageously at least one plant extract chosen from the group formed by Spondias mombin, Maprounea guianensis, Waltheria indica, Gouania blanchetiana and Randia armata. 
To obtain a cosmetic composition which additionally has an enhanced anti-tyrosinase action, inducing a better de-pigmenting effect than current de-pigmenting ingredients, the active ingredient incorporated in it is advantageously at least one plant extract chosen from the group formed by Spondias mombin, Maprounea guianensis and Gouania blanchetiana. 
To obtain a cosmetic composition which also has a strong cellular metabolism stimulating action, the active ingredient incorporated in it is advantageously at least one plant extract chosen from the group formed by Spondias mombin, Maprounea guianensis, Gouania blanchetiana, Cordia schomburgkii and Hibiscus furcellatus. 
To obtain a cosmetic composition which also has an enhanced anti-glycosylation action, the active ingredient incorporated in it is advantageously at least one plant extract chosen from the group formed by Spondias mombin, Maprounea guianensis, Gouania blanchetiana and Cordia schomburgkii. 
In a preferred embodiment of the invention producing an active ingredient which simultaneously has a good anti-tyrosinase action, a very strong anti-protease action (anti-elastase and anti-collagenase), a very strong anti-UVA and anti-UVB action, a significant cellular metabolism stimulating action and a significant anti-glycosylation affect, it may be envisaged that the active ingredient will preferably be an extract or a mixture of extracts obtained from the Spondias mombin plant and/or the Maprounea guianensis plant.
As a non-restrictive illustration, various methods which are preferably used to make the above-mentioned plant extracts will now be described:
Thus a method of preparing an aqueous extract may for example comprise the following stages:
suspending the ground plant material in 5 to 10 volumes of distilled water in a reactor;
extracting for one hour at 85-90xc2x0 C. with agitation;
cooling to room temperature;
centrifuging for 15 min at 5000 g or coarse filtering;
clarifying if necessary on deep filters, up to 0.5 xcexcm;
noting the volume of extract E1 collected and determining its content of dry material;
extracting and treating the moist residue under the same conditions to obtain an extract E2;
dehydrating the two extracts by spraying the plant extract, possibly after including an additive such as maltodextrin (2/3 additive to 1/3 extracted material). [Inlet temperature: 185-190xc2x0 C./outlet temperature: 75-80xc2x0 C.]
A method of preparing an aqueous alcohol extract may for example comprise the following stages:
suspending the ground plant material in 5 to 10 volumes of aqueous ethanol in a reactor;
extracting with agitation for one hour under reflux;
filtering through a Buchner funnel fitted with a deep filter;
collecting the supernatant material, evaporating the ethanol phase at reduced pressure, centrifuging if necessary for 10 min at 5000 g to eliminate insoluble material, and filtering;
extracting and treating the moist residue under the same conditions to obtain an extract E2;
dehydrating the two extracts by direct spraying of the plant extract, possibly after including an additive such as maltodextrin (2/3 additive to 1/3 extracted material).
A method of preparing an alcohol extract may for example comprise the following stages:
suspending the ground plant material in 5 to 10 volumes of ethanol in a reactor;
extracting with agitation for one hour under reflux;
cooling to room temperature;
filtering through a Buchner funnel fitted with a deep filter;
evaporating the alcohol at reduced pressure at 45xc2x0 C.;
drying in an oven at 40xc2x0 C.;
extracting and treating the moist residue under the same conditions to obtain an extract E2.
By carrying out the preparation processes described above various extracts have been obtained from the plants in question, as mentioned in Examples 1 to 7 below.